April 30, 2004 9:38 AM

The blog of the invisible adjunct
Posted by Jason Butlerat 9:38 AM

In my product development role here at the Globe, I'm charged with creating better ways for us to help people find jobs. To be successful, I need to hone my empathy for Boston's job-seekers; as a result, I love reading blogs about "what it's like to be a ...," blogs that give you insight into others' lives at work.

One of my favorites -- especially as we've been building out our new Higher Education channel -- was the blog of the Invisible Adjunct. In her blog. the anonymous author told her stories of life as an adjunct professor, a woman who knows that a Ph.D. is not always a ticket to the top.

The Chronicle of Higher Education wrote an excellent piece on her, why she shut down her blog, and the general state of adjuncts in academia.

After five years of being an adjunct and a year after starting one of the most popular academic Weblogs, she is giving up and getting out. More than a decade after entering graduate school with great promise, she hasn't landed that full-time, tenure-track spot she dreamed of. So although she's unsure what comes next, she is quitting the academy and shutting the blog down.

...

Her departure from the classroom at the end of this semester will cause barely a ripple on her campus. No farewell parties. No mentions in the department newsletter. Remember, no one can really see her. But on the Internet, her goodbye spurred an emotional cascade.